Research Project Manager Jobs in Austin, TX (NOW HIRING)

Description

About TRI Austin

TRI Austin, Inc. is a small business with a 50-year history as a first-class materials science and applied research and development firm. We are a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team engaged in cutting-edge research spanning organic synthesis, formulations chemistry, polymer science, and a wide array of innovative programs. We pride ourselves on our intellectually stimulating environment, collaborative culture, and commitment to excellence.

As we continue to grow, we are seeking an experienced Supervising Project Manager who brings both strong technical fluency and proven leadership skills to help drive our research and development programs forward.

Role Summary

We are seeking a senior, hands-on materials scientist who will serve as both a project manager and laboratory supervisor. This role blends technical execution with day-to-day project leadership: you will manage scope, schedule, and budget across multiple R&D projects; supervise and mentor a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians; produce and deliver high-quality technical reports and presentations to internal and external sponsors (including DoD); and ensure laboratory safety and quality practices. The ideal candidate has a strong background in polymers/materials, excels at scientific documentation and briefings, and is comfortable coordinating people and resources in a fast-paced lab environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• People leadership and lab supervision
• Supervise and mentor a multidisciplinary team of 4-8 scientists/engineers/technicians; set goals, provide feedback, and support professional growth.
• Plan staffing and priorities across projects to balance workloads and meet milestones.
• Establish and enforce SOPs, quality practices, and EHS standards; promote 5S and a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
• Project planning and execution
• Lead end-to-end management of multiple concurrent R&D projects, including scope definition, scheduling, resource allocation, risk tracking, and milestone burn-downs.
• Maintain integrated project schedules, track progress against deliverables, and drive on-time, on-budget execution.
• Coordinate cross-functional contributors, subcontractors, and vendors; oversee procurements and equipment utilization.
• Technical execution (materials/polymers)
• Apply technical knowledge in chemistry, polymer science, or materials science to provide informed guidance on R&D activities, troubleshoot project challenges, and ensure scientific quality and integrity.
• Guide formulation, processing, and testing of polymers, adhesives, coatings, composites, and elastomers from concept through bench-scale validation and pilot-scale demonstration.
• Oversee characterization and data interpretation (e.g., DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology, FTIR, mechanical testing).
• Apply basic DoE/statistical approaches and root-cause analysis to accelerate learning and de-risk scale-up.
• Technical reporting, documentation, and presentations
• Own preparation of monthly/quarterly status reports and final technical reports; ensure accuracy, clarity, and rigor in data, figures, and analyses.
• Build sponsor-ready slide decks and deliver technical briefings to customers (e.g., DoD).
• Enforce configuration control, data traceability, and compliance with client templates and internal document standards.
• Maintain laboratory notebooks, experimental records, and data packages to support reproducibility and audits.
• Stakeholder communication and contract support
• Serve as a point of contact for project communications with sponsors and internal leadership.
• Support proposal and contract activities (e.g., contributing sections, drafting schedules, budgets, and deliverables), with emphasis on compliant, high-quality documentation.
• Ensure adherence to government and customer reporting requirements and internal QA processes.

 TRI Austin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. 

Requirements

Key Qualifications:

• Education: MS or PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related field.
• Experience:
• 5+ years of relevant post-degree R&D experience in materials-focused environments; or 3+ years with a PhD.
• 2+ years managing R&D scope/schedule/budget for multi-disciplinary teams.
• 1+ year of direct supervision or team leadership in a laboratory setting.
• Technical and communication skills:
• Hands-on laboratory experience in polymer/materials processing and characterization. 
• Familiarity with chemical formulation, polymer synthesis, adhesives and coatings, composites, and structure-property relationships.
• Exceptional technical writing skills with demonstrated experience producing sponsor-ready reports and presentations.
• Strong oral presentation skills and experience briefing technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word for structured technical reports; PowerPoint for sponsor briefings; Excel for data/figures); familiarity with project tools and collaboration/document systems (e.g., SharePoint/Teams).
• Additional requirements:
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government DoD Industrial Security Clearance. For more information, visit: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/fso/faqs/
• In-person role in Austin, TX.
• Must be capable of occasionally working in a laboratory environment, including lifting up to 50 pounds and using a respirator as needed.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience supporting DoD or other U.S. Government projects and associated reporting/deliverables.
• PMP certification or formal project management training; familiarity with risk registers and gated development.
• Experience with DOE/statistical analysis tools (e.g., JMP, Minitab) and/or scripting for data analysis (e.g., Python/Matlab).
• Background in scale-up, technology transition, and/or quality systems (e.g., ISO 9001/AS9100).

Why Join TRI Austin

• Be part of a 50-year legacy of scientific excellence and innovation.
• Work in a flexible, intellectually stimulating environment with diverse, high-impact projects.
• Contribute to applied research with real-world impact and visible deliverables.
• Enjoy an excellent quality of life in Austin, TX, with competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.

TRI Austin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.